October 18 (SeeNews) - The first of six emergency medical helicopters Bulgaria has ordered from Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo will begin test flights in November, the health ministry in Sofia said.
The licensing process for Bulgaria Heli Med Service as an aviation operator is underway and is expected to be completed by the time the first helicopter arrives in the country, the ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
Following direct negotiations with the Bulgarian side, Leonardo was awarded the contract for the delivery of helicopters for emergency medical operations (HEMS) earlier this year. The contract is worth 113.4 million levs ($61.3 million/58 million euro). Bulgaria will take delivery of the first aircraft on December 15, the health ministry said in February.
Under the deal, Bulgaria will be able to potentially order two more helicopters by the end of next year without a change in the overall price, according to the press release.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)